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Overview

Ancelotti keeping it in the family

Fans of AC Milan pride themselves that theirs is not merely a
club, but rather a family and community in which tradition and
hierarchy are highly revered. Year after year, certainly, champions
from all corners of the world arrive to pull on the famous
red-and-black shirt, hoping to make the most of their skills and
write a new page in the history of this venerable Italian
institution.

In several celebrated cases, these sterling servants have also
been encouraged to stay on to help continue the
Rossoneri's mission to win trophies and thrill
worldwide audiences. Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro
Tassotti are all prime examples, but the most famous is this
trio's former team-mate, Carlo Ancelotti, who since November
2001 has held the club's most prestigious and precarious job of
all.

'Our main objective'
Carlo Ancelotti was born in Reggio-Emilia and made
his name as a talented, tough-tackling midfielder in the first
great Milan squad of the Berlusconi era. Within the space of three
years from 1986 to 1989, he helped Milan clinch the Serie A title,
the UEFA European Cup and the Intercontinental (Toyota) Cup.

It was during the last of these, a 1-0 win over
Colombia's Atletico Nacional in 1989, that the hugely
influential Ancelotti picked up an injury which prevented him
contributing to his side's successful defence of the title in
Japan the following year against Paraguay's Olimpia.

He tasted defeat as coach of the
Rossoneri in the 2003 final against Boca Juniors but now,
18 years since he last lifted the trophy, AC Milan's current
coach is eager to return to the pinnacle of world club football.
Speaking exclusively to
FIFA.com, he said: "Our success is based on
working together. For us and for the community, this trophy
represents the main objective of our season."

Milan, a club of champions
As the coach explains, there will be three
generations of outstanding footballers all aiming to clinch this
trophy: "From Maldini, who even when he doesn't play
represents the soul of this team, to Ronaldo, who really helped us
last year. I think that he can make a major contribution in Tokyo.
Then there's Kaka, who has unique technical and athletic
abilities and who has grown so much since his arrival in Milan. He
has several different sides to his game and he's a match-winner
in several respects. His team-mates rate him because they see
he's an exceptional athlete, a committed lad who plays for the
team.

"Without forgetting players of the calibre of [Andrea]
Pirlo, [Rino] Gattuso, [Clarence] Seedorf, [Alessandro] Nesta and
[Filippo] Inzaghi. Besides all the others great players, of course,
we have someone who is already a world champion at club level and
that's [Alexandre] Pato. I can't play him in Japan,
unfortunately. He won't be available until 4 January, because
we couldn't register him before the end of the summer transfer
window."

While the competition format may be new and intriguing, the
48-year-old coach faces similar challenges to those of previous
club world tournaments: "My biggest worry is getting over the
jetlag, which will take several days. Then there's the training
which is not very in-depth, because these important games have to
be fitted around our normal season. From this point of view, our
opponents have the advantage of being more focused on each
match."

Boca not the sole threat
Milan are leaving nothing to chance and have
studied their opponents in minute detail. "Everyone
underestimates the lesser known teams and are banking on a final
between Milan and Boca, but you can't be too careful,"
said Ancelotti.

"Pachuca of Mexico can go far, so too can the Tunisians
Etoile. They eliminated Al Ahly, who themselves went close to
making last year's final and managed to clinch third
place." As for the quarter-final match between Urawa Reds and
Iran's Sepahan or New Zealand's Waitakere, Ancelotti has no
doubts which side will book a date with Milan in the semi-final:
"We've studied DVDs of Boca and Pachuca and we also sent
an observer to the final of the AFC Champions League. In our view
the Japanese side are the favourites. They will be playing on home
soil, so they don't have to cope with jetlag. They also play
world-class football, thanks to their German coach and Brazilian
players in their line-up."

Of course, while keen to stress that Boca Juniors will not be
their only challengers, he knows only too well that the Buenos
Aires giants will prove extremely dangerous opponents. "I know
all about Argentinian sides," he said ruefully. "I lost
against one in the semi-final of the Italy 1990 World Cup and again
in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo in 2003, each
time on penalties. Collectively they are aggressive and determined,
besides having great technical ability."

Azzurri interest?
A victory in Tokyo could see Ancelotti move on in
search of fresh challenges, even if the man himself is playing down
such a possibility: "I hope not, because I want to see out my
career at club level here at Milan and I'm not planning to
retire just yet. This is a profession which exposes you to every
emotion, from elation and joy to anxiety and sadness, and rewards
you with some priceless experiences. It's a job which gives you
a real buzz, a job that I put a lot of passion into."

Given the respect in which he is held throughout the nation,
would the possibility of coaching Italy appeal once he departs the
San Siro? "Becoming a national coach - but not necessarily of
Italy - could be an objective," was his response, "but
it's not an immediate one. I hope to experience it one day; it
would be a stimulating experience."

Ancelotti's former team-mates Roberto Donadoni and Marco
van Basten have themselves taken on the mantle of managing their
respective national teams, while other recently retired Milan
greats, such as Frank Rijkaard, have gone on to become successful
club coaches. So, does Ancelotti see any members of the current
squad following in their footsteps?

"To be honest I don't think there are too many,"
was his blunt response. "Andrea Pirlo springs to mind, for the
level-headed way that he handles every situation. And perhaps Pippo
Inzaghi, because he has great passion and has a great tactical
understanding of the game. In any case, for now I need them on the
pitch because together we want to make Milan the world champions of
club football."